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The Paradise Machine
Story Synopsis "How easy it is to part a fool from his money, Doctor. Like lambs to the slaughter..." The TARDIS arrives on the Golden Moon Space Station, previously the most famous entertainment station in the Universe, but now host to a far more sinister project. The Doctor, Nick and Rob soon discover that the Golden Moon is greeting a myriad of wealthy guests - politicians, media stars and company directors. They are here to buy a visit to The Paradise Machine, a device that literally makes your dreams come true. The Doctor soon clashes with Leckard, the psychotic Controller of the station, while Nick and Rob face the machine itself - and their own innermost desires. The Doctor, aided by the station's Head of Security, Mills, faces a race against time to seek out the true power behind the machine, while avoiding death at the hands of the deadly Mark Four Galactic Security Droids that stalk the corridors of the Golden Moon, and somehow saving Nick and Rob from the sinister secret at the heart of a crooked scam to embezzle humanity. But is Mills all he seems? Can the Doctor protect his friends from the allure of their own dreams? And just who is Tor Garane? Plot to be added Continuity * This story features the first appearance of Tor Garane and the Baron of Boralis. * The characters of Emma Bonham, June River and Linda McCow return in this story - as part of Rob and Nick's fantasy world's. * Tor Garane first became aware of The Doctor during an unseen adventure, in which The Doctor stopped the Galactic Bank's plan to assume control of the planet Thenos-4. * Nick's fantasy world features him starring in the Clear Waters soap opera - which was first seen in the story Echoes of the Protii, and later played a major part in Soap of Fatal Death. * The Nimon makes a cameo in Rob's fantasy. * The cliffhanger at the end of this story was an uncredited addition by Pip Madeley and Si Hunt to lead into the next adventure, The Curse of Ratanapura. Production Cast * Doctor Who - Paul Monk * Nick - David Tudor * Rob - Steve Alexander * Controller Leckard - Alex Finch * Professor Thrace - Simon Hart * Mills - Antony Cox * Tor Garane - Martin Penny * The Baron of Boralis - Pip Madeley * Security Droids - Si Hunt * Linda McCow - Trudi Gard * Nimon - David Barnes * June/Emma/Computer - Kathy Riedtmann Crew * Written by Martin Penny * Produced by Si Hunt * Directed by Si Hunt * CD artwork designed by Pip Productions Production Notes * The first outline for the story was quite different, and featured an 'Afterlife Machine' which was actually transporting people to another dimension, to have their souls devoured by a vicious entity. In this version of the story, Mills was to have been a tour guide, rather than a security chief - and Tor Garane was to have been taking orders from the evil creature in another dimension. * The Fantasy scene with Rob was a late addition to the script, and was written by Si Hunt, the original scene featured a 'test subject' Leckard had prepared being reunited with his family in paradise. * In the first draft, Leckard's fate was left more ambiguous, and he was merely left in a catatonic state following his go in the machine. * The character of Professor Thrace was based on Cyril Shaps various portrayals of nervous scientists in the TV series, and at one time in development, would have been a female character. * An extended four part version of the story was made available on CD, after it was discovered that the there was at least 15 minutes of extra material. Links * The Paradise Machine Paradise Machine, The